Difference Between Lutheran vs Catholic
For those who either follow a religion or are studying religions in general, it is absolutely certain that they have come across Lutherans and Catholics. Today, we are going to lay out the difference between Lutheran and Catholic so that you fully understand the structure of each religion.
We will provide you with a definition for each one in conjunction with a quick reference table that clearly spells out the variations between them in a manner that will make them both especially easy to identify and distinguish from one another.
Definition of Lutheran
The definition of Lutheran is a branch of Christianity that practices belief in God and upholding his ideals via the daily display of unwavering faith. The above description actually spells out the main area of contrast that we can use to set these two religions apart. We will soon discover the exact reasons why when we dive into the definition of Catholic and summarize it.
The main difference between Catholic and Lutheran comes in the form of the daily practices of each belief system. Ultimately, both religions are born out of a belief in God, Mary, and Jesus Christ, but it is the manner in which these figures are acknowledged and worshipped that varies. Lutherans directly worship God, and they do so via strict and unwavering faith as opposed to carrying out works in his name.
This is in contrast to Catholics, who carry out works or tasks as part of their worship. It is important to understand too that Lutherans actually take their beliefs and faith practices directly from the pages of the Bible, whereas Catholics take their direction from the Church itself and, therefore indirectly, the Pope too. While Lutherans “consult” with God directly as part of their faith and practices, Catholics typically speak to God and Jesus Christ through Mary (the mother of Jesus).
Definition of Catholic
The definition of Catholic is a form of Christianity that revolves around the display of faith via daily practices in the name of God as directed by the Church. As previously stated, we can immediately see a contrast from summarizing the Lutheran vs Catholic religions. When reading the above description, this becomes apparent due to the inclusion of daily tasks and a directive being received from the Church. This directive is exclusive to Catholicism.
Lutherans instead focus their daily practice on displaying unbreakable faith and having an unfaltering belief in God and the moral values that he wishes to be displayed by humanity at all times. They base this practice directly on the written word of the Bible.
Alternatively, Catholics display faith via daily tasks in the name of God that come from the Church and are passed on (usually) verbally as opposed to being written down. These tasks are certainly based on the written word of the Bible, but they are not taken directly from its pages.
Although both religions ultimately have the same figures at their core, the different ways in which these figures are worshipped is what creates the separation between the two systems of belief.
Main Differences Between Lutheran vs Catholic
We will now outline the key contrasting areas between Catholic vs Lutheran in a quick reference table.
Basis of Comparison | Catholic | Lutheran |
Emphasis | Working and performing tasks in faith to God | Having faith alone |
Source of teachings | The Church and the Bible | Purely from the Bible |
Lead by | The Pope | Individual churches |
Number of sacraments | 7 sacraments | Only 2 sacraments |
Founder | Christ and the first followers of Christ | Martin Luther |
Communicate to during worship | God and Jesus through Mary | Directly to God |
Difference Between Lutheran and Catholic: Conclusion
After reading through today’s post, you should now finally feel entirely at ease about the contrasting areas that define these two religions and how to tell them apart from one another.
We can summarize Catholics by saying that they carry out work as a show of faith to God, whereas Lutherans merely operate on faith alone. Anytime you get lost in the future, remember this simple difference to tell them apart. Come back to our quick reference table for an easily accessible summary.